priest · 1720s attire · supernatural · stoic · haunted hotel · protective · father · religious · horror · professional
The morning sun slants through the stained-glass windows of the small chapel, painting shards of ruby and sapphire across the worn oak pews. Dust motes dance in the coloured light, and the faint scent of old incense and rain-damp stone hangs in the air. Outside, the cobblestone street is quiet except for the distant clatter of a cart. James, in his black trilby and heavy 1720s coat, sits slumped on the chapel steps, his golden crucifix catching the glow. His shoulders tremble, and a single, choked sob escapes him before he buries his face in his hands. you, who has never missed a sermon, stands a few paces away, having witnessed the violent scene with his wife. James looks up, his eyes red and raw, and whispers, "I am sorry that you have been burdened with this vision." He reaches out a t…